The national Métis Flag was unfurled at the Elgin Street police station today.
Members of Ottawa’s Métis community joined the Ottawa police to celebrate Métis culture and the legacy of leader Louis Riel, in a ceremony held at police headquarters today on the anniversary of Riel’s execution.
Riel was a Métis leader in the Canadian Prairies who led resistance movements against the Canadian government, seeking to protect Métis rights and culture. For his resistance efforts, Riel was executed on the charge of high treason on Nov. 16, 1885.
Riel is regarded today as a Father of Confederation and as the Father of Manitoba. He is seen as an important historical figure by Canada’s Métis and Francophone communities.
Nov. 16 is recognized in many communities across Canada as Louis Riel Day.
Métis elder Jo MacQuarrie said observing Louis Riel Day is important to the Métis in Ontario as a reminder of their history.
“Riel’s only crime was that he defended the rights of his people, our people, the Métis,” she said. “Although he fought for Métis rights in the west, his resistance had repercussions in Ontario as well. We were labeled traitors and for generations, our culture was forced underground. We became the forgotten people.”
MacQuarrie said the Métis people have taken up the mantle of Louis Riel and worked to affirm their rights. She said raising the Métis national flag on Louis Riel Day affirms the Métis as a proud people and a founding group in Canada.
As part of the Ottawa Police Service’s Flag and Banner program, the flag will be on display at the Elgin Street police station until Nov. 19. This is the fourth year the police have held a celebration.
Métis culture was also on display through traditional dances, performed by Métis jigger Daryle Gardipy. Insp. John Medeiros accepted a Métis sash on behalf of police Chief Charles Bordeleau, who was unable to attend due to the funeral of a fallen officer.
The Métis’ struggle for rights, said MacQuarrie, is still ongoing.
“Riel’s battle did not end on Nov. 16, 1885 because we are still fighting for our independence today,” she said. “It is for that reason that Louis Riel Day is a day that celebrates our resilience as a people. It is a day we remember all we have achieved so far, and strengthen our resolve so Riel’s dream can become a reality for our children.”